Chances are, eons ago, one of your parents sat you down, all strained smiles and adult awkwardness, and had that “birds and bees” talk. But did anyone ever have that same conversation with you about your dog? If you’ve decided to get into casual breeding, you need to know how to tell if your bitch […]

If you believe your dog is suffering from symptoms of bloat, call your vet or emergency vet immediately. I hate this disease. When I first started as a vet, we gave a dog with bloat a 50-50 chance if he could walk into the hospital. Many were too weak and had to be carried in. […]

AKC Directory Please click here to view the contact information for Staff. AKC Registered Handlers Over the years professional handlers have played an important part in the history of the sport of dogs. They have provided the support system for the top show dogs in the history of many breeds. Expertise in the care, conditioning […]

Issues at the City, County, and Metropolitan Levels, and in US Territories The AKC Government Relations Department is pleased to assist dog owners with canine legislation issues in their local communities, but we can’t help unless we are aware of the proposal. Please contact us at (919) 816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org when new laws are discussed or introduced […]

On Friday, October 14, 2022, Governor John Carney signed Senate Substitute 1 to Senate Bill 258 (known as Izzy the Cat’s Act).  It provides for the awarding of compensatory damages for injury or death of a companion animal as a result of a tortious act. As signed by the Governor, when these acts are committed, […]

After receiving public comment on a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance, the Rockingham County, VA, Board of Supervisors voted to table the proposal at its September 28 public hearing. As noted in a previous alert, the proposed ordinance could have impacted local hobby kennels.  Although some positive changes were made to the original version of the […]

On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 6:00pm, the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing and possible vote on a proposed Dog Kennel Ordinance that could impact local hobby kennels. The original version of the proposed ordinance was first presented and tabled by the Planning Commission on July 6, 2022 (See previous […]

Queen Elizabeth II was an animal lover since she received her first Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Susan, as a gift for her 18th birthday in 1944. The Queen had more than 30 Pems in her lifetime, but she stopped breeding in 2015 to not leave any young dogs behind after her death. "This devoted breeder and […]

The best way to ensure a long and happy relationship with a purebred dog is to purchase from a responsible breeder. While the AKC does not endorse or recommend specific breeders, we do offer several resources to locate breeders. The AKC recommends puppy buyers begin the search process by contacting the AKC Parent Club. Please […]

Election Day is right around the corner. On Tuesday, November 8, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, 36 governorships, and many other state and local elections will be contested. To preserve the future of purebred dogs, it’s important to identify dog-friendly candidates and […]